Pune: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, asserted on Tuesday that the 'shilanyas' (laying of the first stone) for the Ram temple in Ayodhya was performed during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as the country's Prime Minister. Speaking at a public meeting in Nipani, Karnataka, the veteran leader accused the BJP and RSS of playing politics on the issue.
Pawar expressed his views as preparations are underway for the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple scheduled for January 22. He remarked, "The 'shilanyas' was conducted during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure, but today the BJP and RSS are engaging in politics in the name of Lord Ram."
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11-day fast leading up to the consecration ceremony, Pawar acknowledged Modi's faith in Ram but suggested an alternative focus. "I respect his faith in Ram, but had he decided to observe a fast to eliminate poverty, people would have appreciated it," Pawar stated.
—Input from Agencies